Safety of wall hangings/paintings/quilts in nursery

[Skatterfly]

OK, this might seem like a stupid decorating/safety question but I'm 6 weeks from my EDD and a first time mom and I can't seem to make any decisions without second guessing myself any more. :-)

I only have 2 walls for hanging stuff... one wall is where the crib is... the opposite wall is where the combo/dresser is. The other walls have sliding closet doors and windows.)

For wall decor, we bought a beautiful lithograph ( about 24"x30" ) with glass and wood frame and a custom watercolor on the matting. Totally love it! We also got a quilt with our Kidsline Bedding set.

To keep the room looking balanced (and not have all the bright but a little busy Kidsline bedding in one small area of the nursery)... it makes sense to put the quilt opposite the crib over the dresser. And my plan was to hang the litho over the crib... where you can see it from other rooms and it's what you see when you first walk into the room.

But then I thought I saw a post somewhere on here that you should only hang soft things over the crib in case it falls or once the baby stands up and can grab the frame and knock it loose.

So here's my dilemma... am I being taking a huge safety risk by putting that painting there, centered above the crib... where it looks the best and we'll all get the enjoyment from it? Seems to me if I hang it with double wall hooks (and they probably even have some kind in an art store that don't slip off in earthquakes) it should be fairly safe. And it's glass... so it's heavy enough that the baby won't be able to lift it or knock it off the wall, even when the baby CAN stand up. (Not to mention, by the time the baby is standing up, the crib mattress is lowered and the picture will be completely out of reach altogether.)

I can't seem to find much info on this... everyone just seems to hang their quilt over the crib... but in my tiny little nursery it makes it look like we went out and bought every single item from Kidsline and staged it for a photo shoot... so I want to break up the cutesy patterns a bit with the original watercolor painting.

Any help you seasoned mommies (or less worried new moms) can share is MUCH appreciated.

TIA,

Kat

[C99]

Kat,

If it's secured well and you don't live in an earthquake state, I wouldn't worry about hanging something above the crib.

I don't have anything hanging on my walls -- but that's because I have plaster walls and it was easier to paint murals directly on the wall than to hang pictures.

HTH

[egoldber]

How much space is between the bottom of the painting and the crib? I would make sure there is at least 2-3 feet between the crib top rail and the bottom of the painting. My crib is at the lowest setting and when Sarah stands in it, her head is probably at least 8-10 inches above the edge of the crib and then there is her reach.

It's not a babe so much as an active toddler that you need to worry about. And if you ever have toys in the crib that your toddler learns to use as a step ladder. Or that they could throw at the painting. It's amazing how clever they get and what they can set their industrious little minds too.

Personally, I wouldn't risk it.

[Skatterfly]

Oh my... I was just so heartbroken after I read these posts. The print wasn't cheap and it is absolutely darling... and truly the ONLY place it would work is over the crib. I just don't have much wall space.

But, I think I have good news to report, though... I just went to see if I could rearrange the room or find another wall for it... and I think the darn thing is acrylic/plexi instead of glass. It is fairly pliable and doesn't "clink" when my ring taps it... so I'm almost positive now it's not glass. (I guess it makes sense a reputable crib store selling art for nurseries wouldn't sell something with a glass frame... but I'll go in to the store again and ask to see the manufacturer's literature and get confirmation.)

Beth, you're such the resident expert.... if it really is acrylic/plexi, would you say it's OK to hang it over the crib, assuming I use something appropriate for hanging it securely to the wall. (I'm thinking double wall anchors that hook into the metal loops in the wood frame.) It's how some of our larger mirrors and artwork are hung, so I think that's probably overkill for a little print in the baby's room.

I do live in earthquake land (CA) but I'm not as concerned about the print falling as I am about my baby putting her hand through glass... so hopefully plexi is a reasonable alternative so I can still enjoy this print.

Ladies, what do you think?

~kat